


Like I'm Half Of A Whole

by stardustedruins



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Iwaizumi Hajime's Birthday, M/M, Some Fluff, Summary is self explanatory, nothing deep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:48:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24641134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustedruins/pseuds/stardustedruins
Summary: In which Oikawa tells Iwa-chan he loves him in nine different ways and then there’s the one time he doesn’t have to.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Kudos: 49





	Like I'm Half Of A Whole

**Author's Note:**

> Hii! Originally I saw a story like this for KuroKen on Wattpad. I cannot for the life of me remember the title though and I can't seem to find it, but when I do, I'll link it. Point is, I thought the idea was very cute and I wondered how it would work for IwaOi, so here we are. 
> 
> Also it's Iwazumi's birthday, so finally decided to post this! [ Happy Birthday Iwa-chan! Godzilla maniac, Agedashi tofu lover and Seijoh's brilliant ace. Thank you for everything Hajime. ]
> 
> It's a really light read, hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Excuse my lack of a proper title, I couldn't think of anything! ( The title is taken from the lyrics of Sad Song by We The Kings )

* * *

**_One - selfies_ **

“Iwa-chan did you see the selfies I sent you yesterday?” Oikawa smiles, his eyes lighting up the moment he sees Iwaizumi.

“Waste of time, Crappykawa.” Iwaizumi rolls his eyes in response, turning away.

“Mean, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa pouts, deflating slightly.

Iwaizumi was not going to tell Oikawa how happy those pictures had made him and he would most certainly not admit to having spent a considerable amount of time staring at those pictures of his best friend.

**_Two - the perfect setter_ **

Iwaizumi grits his teeth as the ball passes above his hand.

“Ah, my bad, Iwaizumi-san! It was too high. I'll correct it.” Kindaichi says, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, cheeks colouring.

Iwaizumi shakes his head “I should have jumped a little higher too.”

“Kindaichi.” Oikawa calls out and the first year stiffens.

“Oikawa.” Iwaizumi warns, to which Oikawa waves in dismissal. He’s wearing his captain face and Iwaizumi knows that he cannot stop Oikawa.

He sees Oikawa whisper for a minute in Kindaichi’s ear, to which Kindaichi nods.

“Try it again now and Iwa-chan, play like you usually do.” Oikawa flashes him a grin.

This time when Iwaizumi jumps to spike the ball, it fits in his palm perfectly and he slams it right onto the other side of the court. He looks up to see Oikawa smiling, and he lets himself smile back.

**_Three -_ ** **_Extraterrestrial Abduction Day_ **

“Iwa-chan, wake up, wake up!”

Iwaizumi groans as he feels someone’s weight on him “ _ Get off me, Shittykawa _ .”

“But, Iwa-chan,  it’s Extraterrestrial Abduction Day. We  _ have  _ to go outside.” he hears Oikawa whine, slightly breathless as he lays down next to Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi cocks an eye open and sees Oikawa wearing an alien face t-shirt and loose shorts, his glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. He looks ridiculous, is Iwazumi’s first thought, and then he smiles lazily because Oikawa actually looks adorable. Iwaizumi was the only one who got to see Oikawa’s dorky side and although he would never admit it out loud, he secretly loved that side of Oikawa.

“People usually run away from aliens; you’re the only one who wants to get abducted, you know.” he sighs and then sits up.

“Aliens would have already killed us if they wanted to, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa replies pointedly, eyes drifting to Iwaizumi’s ceiling.

Iwaizumi looks up and sees the fading constellation patterns that he and Oikawa (well, mostly Oikawa) had drawn together when they were younger. Oikawa hadn’t let him repaint it - ‘ _ It’s my masterpiece gift to you,’ _ he had said. 

“Fair point.” Iwaizumi mutters as he lets himself get dragged to watch the stars with Oikawa.

**_Four - Turned Tables_ **

The front of Iwaizumi’s shirt is bunched into his fist, tears rolling down his cheeks, seeping through the fabric, everything else around him is a blur.

“Line up,” he hears Oikawa’s voice echo distantly.

He can hear his heart beating like a drum, the sound consuming him, out of focus.  _ I’m the ace. I’m the ace. What good am I if I couldn’t help our team win?  _

And then he feels a hard slap on his back. He stills for a minute and looks up to see Oikawa pass by him. He knows then, it wasn’t just a feel better pat on his back or a light slap that said ‘I’m sorry you feel down’. That slap had every bit of emotion Iwaizumi needed to hear, complete unwavering support and belief—  _ You are strong, so get up already _ . He grits his teeth and clutches his chest, for once the tables have turned. Oikawa is the calm and composed one now, he’s acting as the rock for Hajime.  _ No, not acting _ ,  _ he is my rock, _ Hajime thinks.

As they all line up and bow to the audience, tears staining the floor, sobs wracking their chest, the stadium filling with loud applause for the fallen. Iwaizumi holds his head a little higher, making a silent promise to get stronger.

**_Five - Ramen and Milkbread_ **

“How many more problems, Iwa-chan. Let’s stop for the night.” Oikawa sighs boredly. 

“Shut up, Crappykawa.” Iwaizumi retorts automatically, completely focused on the homework in front of him.

“Fine. Suit yourself. I’m going to get some milk bread from the fridge.” Oikawa grumbles, making faces at Iwaizumi.

“Whatever.” Iwaizumi replies, waving him off in dismissal.

“He never pays any attention to me.” Oikawa mutters loud enough for Iwaizumi to hear as Oikawa leaves the room. Iwaizumi shakes his head, wondering how he got stuck with such a brat for a best friend and then he hears his own stomach grumble in hunger. He opens his school bag and picks up a protein bar. There was no way he was going to sit and eat milk bread with Oikawa.

Fifteen minutes pass and Oikawa still doesn’t come back up, it makes Iwaizumi worry. It’s natural for Oikawa to bring the milk bread upstairs in his room and taunt Iwaizumi with it.  _ What is he up to? Is he playing a prank of some sort? _

Iwaizumi gets up to see what Oikawa's up to when Oikawa himself walks through the door with two bowls, both of them are hot, evident by the steam rising from them.

“What is that?” Iwaizumi blinks for a moment before he receives a bowl from Oikawa.

“Instant ramen, Iwa-chan. Your brain must be absolutely fried if you can’t recognise it.” Oikawa replies, sitting down on the floor.

Iwazumi ignores Oikawa and then he sighs “What I meant was, you hate instant ramen, why did you make this?”

“Because you love it.” Oikawa replies, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“Ran out of milk bread, huh?” Iwaizumi grins as he sits next to Oikawa, mouth already salivating. 

“I may or may not have finished the packet during breakfast.” Oikawa mumbles.

“ _ Idiot. _ ” Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, but dives right into the ramen.

“You can have my bowl too.” Oikawa looks up.

“Eat.” Iwaizumi shakes his head “You need food too.”

When Iwaizumi leaves Oikawa’s house that night, he sees a full milk bread packet sitting on the kitchen counter, untouched.

**_Six - Volleyball idiot._ **

Iwaizumi wakes up, startled by the sudden sound of a volleyball hitting the wall next to his head. “Oi, Shittykawa, were you trying to kill me?” he glares fiercely at Oikawa.

Oikawa glares back “You should have been paying attention to me then. You came to watch me practice, so then watch me. Stop sleeping.”

“Oikawa, it's nearly ten in the night, I’m tired and I want to go to sleep.” Iwaizumi responds in annoyance, stretching his body as he gets up.

He doesn’t hear a reply back and turns around to see Oikawa putting all the equipment away. He scans Oikawa’s face, still pinched in anger. But it was unlike him to listen to Iwaizumi the first time the latter said something. 

“Is something wrong?” Iwaizumi asks.

“No.” Oikawa replies back.

“Shittykawa, you can’t lie to me.” Iwaizumi sighs, helping Oikawa put the equipment away as he waits for the other boy to speak.

“Do you think I’ll be a good setter on the college team? Do you think I can match up to their talent?  _ What if I’m not good enough? _ ” 

Iwaizumi pauses, lips pressing into a thin line. Only he knew how hard Oikawa practiced- night after night, ball after ball, until his knee gave out, just how deep his insecurities ran. The ‘Mr. Perfect’ facade came crumbling down when he was with Iwaizumi.

“Tooru, you’ll be great. You’ll do just fine.” Iwaizumi looks at him, letting Oikawa know that he means it. “You’ve already had practise setting for a few college teams anyway.” he smiles at Oikawa.

Oikawa nods and smiles back, a lingering sadness remaining even as his eyes clear a little “ _ I wish I could set for you _ .”

It’s Iwaizumi who turns away from him this time. “We already talked about that.”

It is then that Iwaizumi realizes that he’s wearing a jacket over his volleyball uniform. “Isn’t this your jacket?” he looks up at Oikawa. 

Oikawa’s sincere smile returns to his usually annoying one “You were getting cold, Iwa-chan.” he replies.

Iwaizumi stares as Oikawa puts the rest of the equipment back, realizing that Oikawa had let him sleep for a substantial amount of time before waking him up. Which would mean, Oikawa is really worried about college. Or cared for Iwaizumi? Iwaizumi shakes his head;  _ sometimes Oikawa’s different facades were worrisome _ .

**_Seven - a bad dream_ **

Iwaizumi is doing his homework when Oikawa comes bounding into the room “Good evening, Iwa-chan.” he says in a sing-song voice.

“Did you finish your homework or are you leaving it until the morning again?” Iwaizumi says, without looking up.

“So mean, Iwa-chan! Is this how you greet your best friend?” Oikawa pouts petulantly, pulling up a chair next to Iwaizumi. 

“I didn’t have a choice in that matter. Worst decision I probably ever made.” Iwaizumi mutters.

Oikawa doesn’t reply back, when Iwaizumi looks up he finds Oikawa watching him like he’s memorizing Iwaizumi’s face. Iwaizumi shrugs him off and goes back to focusing on his homework. When he doesn’t hear a word from Oikawa in the next twenty minutes, not even a sound, he turns around to face him. “You’re quiet. What’s wrong?” 

“You’re creepy.” Oikawa rolls his eyes.

“That’s my line.” Iwaizumi counters, then he sighs “You have to tell me, you know, I’m not that good at reading your mind.” 

“I dreamt about you last night.” Oikawa replies.

Iwaizumi stares at him in surprise, that was not what he expected Oikawa to say, _ at all _ . Iwaizumi is at a total loss “Well, what happened in the dream?” 

“ _ You died _ .” Oikawa says quietly.

Iwaizumi finally smiles in understanding “Well I’m right here, aren’t I?”

“Well, yeah.” Oikawa said shakily “That’s what I came to make sure of.” he looks up at Iwaizumi. 

“We can go out for a walk, if that’ll help.” Iwazumi shrugs.

Oikawa nods, still lost in the pieces of his nightmare. Iwaizumi leans in and hugs Oikawa and the latter is taken aback but hugs him back tightly.

“I’ll call enough insults at you that it will make you wish that you were dead.” he says gruffly.

Oikawa chuckles and then nods firmly, and Iwaizumi pretends he doesn’t know that Oikawa is crying.

**_Eight - Happy Birthday_ ** __

“Happy birthday, Iwa chan!” Oikawa’s cheerful voice resonates on the other side.

“Shut up, it’s like seven in the morning.” Iwaizumi grumbles.

“Was I the first one to wish you?”

“No. Matsun texted me at twelve, on the dot.” Iwaizumi yawns.

“Texting doesn’t count.” Oikawa mutters disappointedly.

“My mother wished me at six and then let me go back to sleep.” Iwaizumi replies, trying not to laugh.

“I’ll be the first one next year.” He can almost see Oikawa scowling on the other side of the phone. Iwaizumi hums in response. 

“So you’re eighteen now, Iwa chan, what are your plans for the day?”

“I was going to get my driving license at ten actually,” he replies.

“Ohh! Go, go, Iwa-chan!” he hears Oikawa cheer.

“Shut up, it’s too early in the morning for me to be listening to you.”

“Mean!” Oikawa exclaims “But seriously— ”

“Later.” Iwaizumi mumbles.

“Iwa-chan,  _ wait _ — ” he hears Oikawa say, before he cuts the phone, switches it off and goes back to sleep.

When he gets dressed and goes down to eat breakfast, he sees a gift on the table. “Oh, Tooru came by a little earlier and asked for you to open it after you took the driving test.” his mother smiles at him.

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, but regardless, once he comes back from the driving test, he goes straight to the gift. “How did the test go, Hajime?” his mother asks.

“Good. I cleared it on the first go.” he replies distractedly as he opens the gift.

There’s a small card ‘ _ I knew you would take the driving test first, as your step into adulthood. I believe that you will clear it in the first go, so I bought you something. Happy Birthday Hajime! _ ’

He opens the small box to find a car rearview mirror hanger - it was a shirt in the Aoba Johsai volleyball uniform colour with Iwaizumi’s number -  _ four _ .

Iwaizumi is still smiling when he knocks on Oikawa’s door.

“Thanks, Shittykawa.”

Oikawa flashes a childish grin “I bought a matching one for myself.”

“There goes my idea for your birthday.” Iwaizumi sighs.

“It’s my motivation to pass the driving test. Get a little more creative, Iwa-chan!”

Iwaizumi just laughs in response - deep and husky. For a moment, Oikawa blinks in surprises but then he smiles at Iwaizumi. 

**_Nine - Tokyo University_ **

“ _ He hasn’t left his room since last evening, Hajime. _ ” Oikawa’s mother had told him over the phone. He hadn’t received a single text or call from Oikawa since yesterday. He had thought that Oikawa would perhaps annoy him in the morning, instead he had received nothing but radio silence from the other end.

He knocks once on the door. “I’m coming in.”

When he enters the room, he sees Oikawa lying on the bed, fast asleep. Spread out on the floor are photo albums of Oikawa and Iwaizumi for the most part, but also photos of the volleyball team. Iwaizumi sits down and flips through one of the albums, back when they were eight. There are pictures of the both of them— Iwaizumi grinning and Oikawa wearing a grimace after having caught a few stag beetles.

“Iwa-chan?”

Iwaizumi looks up to see a bleary eyed Oikawa blinking at him in confusion as he tries to rub the sleep away.

“Dumbass, when did you go to sleep?”

“3 am, I think.” Oikawa yawns as he sits up.

“What happened?” Iwaizumi asks, eyes softening.

“I got a phone call from Tokyo University.” Oikawa replies quietly.

“Tokyo University?” Iwaizumi stares at him stunned before his face breaks out into a huge grin “Oikawa, that's incredible. Congratulations.” 

“I don’t want to go.” Oikawa mumbles, turning away from Iwaizumi.

“What? Tooru, that’s where you wanted to go for the longest time, why would you say that?”

“I haven’t turned it down, yet .” Oikawa continues to avoid Iwaizumi’s gaze.

“You’re thinking of turning it down?” Iwaizumi asks with incredulity.

“Yeah, but…” Oikawa struggles to maintain his composure. “I’ve never lived in such a big city before. There are a lot of reasons why I shouldn’t go. I made a list on my phone.” Oikawa says as he searches for it.

“I’m sure you could manage just fine,” Iwaizumi assures. “There are a lot of reasons you should go too.”

“ _ I won’t have you. _ ” Oikawa chokes out frustratedly and then he pauses in mid search, eyes widening in realization.

Iwaizumi’s eyes outline the photo albums spread across the floor and the items spewing out of Oikawa’s memory box - things they’ve given each other over the years and everything falls into place. His expression mellows into something kinder and a little sad. “ _ We couldn’t have stayed together forever, Oikawa _ .”

“I know.” Oikawa says quietly “I just— but— ” and then he falls into Iwaizumi’s lap, tears streaming down his cheeks as he buries his face into Iwaizumi’s chest.

“I’ll miss you so much Hajime.”

“I’ll miss you too Trashykawa.”

**_Ten - I love you_ **

Oikawa and Iwaizumi are laying next to each other, side by side. The night sky spread out like a canvas above them. They had been spending the last few days wandering aimlessly, visiting different shops and places, committing them all to memory as they tried to create more memories.

“Hey, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa begins softly, turning his face to look at Iwaizumi. 

Iwaizumi hums and he turns to look at Oikawa, sees the stars reflecting off those beautiful brown irises. 

“I lo— ”

“ _ I love you. _ ” Iwaizumi murmurs.

Oikawa stares, speechless— wonder and joy lighting up in his face all at once.

“I’ve known all this time Tooru. How could I not notice, when you’ve told me so every single day of my life?”

* * *


End file.
